Here in Ghana, calls of “Yavu! Yavu!” bellowed from the mouths of small children, often chase after me. If the child feels especially frolicsome, they’ll felicitously incorporate it into the childhood rhyme which goes, “Yavu, yavu, gaibo, ya, ya, gaibo,” repeated either for as long as the yavu is within sight, or as long as the perverse pleasures of the child last. The word means white person, but doesn’t connote the same non-politically correctness, nor evince the same awkwardness, as the usage of “white” would in the US, especially were it to be shouted at the back of someone as they passed on their way to the market or on some other daily errand. Rather, it is used to get the attention of a white person, and, once the yavu’s name is learned, is disregarded.
The rhyme traces its origins to the Portuguese colonization of Ghana, the term “gaibo” meaning black beard, a form of hair, and color, sported by the colonials. Groups of children may be trusted to favor the rhyme over simply the term, as one child amidst the herd will indubitably inspire the rest of their kind to similarly take up the festivities, and, in general, the younger the child the more emphatic their rendition of the rhyme, which may work them into such a frenzy that their eyes glow like crystal balls and double in size, bodies convulsing rhythmically, arms spinning about like beaters, and voices growing hoarse, yet persistent, till finally their assiduous application leaves them heaving for breath as spittle drips in viscous threads from their lips. However, such a frightening sight may be avoided if, with a turn of the head, a wide smile, eye contact to each member, and a wave of the hand, one swiftly truncates their performance before they gain momentum, the acknowledgement mollifying their fierce taste for yavu attention.
Adults too share a fascination with yavus, though they tend to express it in a more refined, dignified manner. Yavu, said once only, and loud enough to catch my attention, but not screamed, is followed by friendly greetings of “Good day, how are you?” or “What is your name?” expressed first in Ewe, the local language, but, if not understood, then communicated in English. After the initial exchange of greetings, further questions may follow. Sometimes however, even adults indulge themselves in a bit of childish fun, adding a modicum of excitement to what would otherwise be a routine, monotonous day in a small town. Other times, neither questions nor rhymes satisfy an adult’s curiosity, in which case they resort to peculiar methods.